NOTING the exploitation of minerals, especially columbite – tantalite (coltan) – linked to many human rights and environmental concerns, in African countries and the market demand for metals, especially coltan, in the global electronics economy;

RECALLING the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas;

RECOGNISING the dialogue between IUCN and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) to advance sustainable development in mining through responsible sourcing, product stewardship and chemical management;

REAFFIRMING the World Charter for Nature’s call not to overexploit non-renewable resources and United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which call on mining companies to respect human rights and to prioritise environmental management;

AWARE that environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are customary international law;

CONCERNED that without EIAs and human rights assessments, the Sustainable Development Goals are difficult to achieve as peace, security and sustainable development depend on maintaining a healthy environment;

AWARE that lack of EIAs and human rights assessments in mineral-rich African States has increased environmental degradation and human rights violations through forcible evictions, land-grabs, ill-treatment of and violence against miners, and that forest degradation, water contamination, soil erosion, and toxic chemical release and climate change intensification occur from unsustainable mining practices;

CALLING on those engaged in international commerce in metals and materials from African mines to pay attention to the supply chain in order to be environmentally ethical companies;

RECOGNISING that importer states have the moral responsibility to ensure supply chains do not destroy the environment;

DISMAYED that environmental degradation in Africa happens because some importers fail to follow OECD guidelines on sustainable mining practices and human rights compliance;

ENCOURAGED that electronic and mobile phone recycling has the potential to significantly reduce unsustainable mining by recovering a large quantity of materials, thereby protecting crucial chimpanzee, gorilla and other wildlife habitats; and

RECOGNISING that mining activities in Africa have contributed to the development of the African economy and welfare of indigenous people living in Africa, and that therefore the realisation of sustainable supply-chain systems can contribute to eliminating the primary cause that threatens wildlife species, namely poaching due to serious poverty;